Anne DiNardo

In this series, Healthcare Design asks leading healthcare design professionals, firms, and owners to tell us what’s got their attention and share some ideas on the subject.

Healthcare designers, architects, facility owners, and contractors and used to lengthy schedules and spending large amounts of time on a project that won’t see its first patients until 2016, 2018, or beyond.

One deadline that might seem far off—but in reality is just 16 months away—is June 2015, the final date for the industry to transfer to using the new LEED v4 rating system.

In a study conducted by Nurture in fall 2013, 35 percent of clinicians and nurses reported being injured at least once on the job—the bulk of those injuries coming from patient transfers. Nearly half of the 303 survey recipients said they were responsible for performing patient transfers more than once a week.

Mitch Goplen, EDAC
Vice president of facility services, Billings Clinic (Billings, Mont.)

Plenty has been done within healthcare organizations across the country to reduce the spread of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). Measures such as readily accessible hand-washing sinks have been put in place, and facilities are tracking staff compliance, too. But human processes have limits, says Dr. Gene Burke, vice president and executive medical director, clinical effectiveness, Sentara Healthcare (Norfolk, Va.).

Sheila Bosch, PhD, LEED AP, EDAC
Director of research for Gresham, Smith and Partners (GS&P; Tampa)

Copper-infused products and their potential impact in fighting healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are not new to our industry. But as emphasis grows on reducing readmission rates, increasing patient satisfaction, and cutting the alarming cost of HAIs (estimated to add $28-45 billion to annual U.S. healthcare costs, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), is it time to revisit the topic?

In this series, Healthcare Design asks leading healthcare design professionals, firms, and owners to tell us what’s got their attention and share some ideas on the subject.

Geoffrey Roehll is senior vice president with Hitchcock Design Group (Naperville, Ill.), specializing in landscape architecture and site design for hospitals and healthcare facilities. Here, he shares his thoughts on healing gardens and creative fundraising efforts to build facility gardens.

Laura Poltronieri, AIA
Principal, Poltronieri Tang & Associates (PT&A; Swarthmore, Pa.)

Completion date: Opened September 17, 2013

Total building area: 750,000 sq. ft.

Total cost: $400 million  

Owner: Hospital for Sick Children             

Architecture and interior design: Diamond Schmitt Architects 

Contracting and construction: EllisDon Corp.

Engineering: Halcrow Yolles (structural); H. H. Angus (mechanical and electrical)

Carpet/flooring:  Interface

Doors: Fulton, Lambton

Locks/hardware: Medico, Sargent Assa Abloy

SickKids Research Institute’s mission is to improve the health of children, but the hospital-based research center was experiencing its own set of growing pains.

In this series, Healthcare Design asks leading healthcare design professionals, firms, and owners to tell us what’s got their attention and share some ideas on the subject.

Michael Lied is a principal and director of healthcare for GBBN Architects (Cincinnati). Here, he shares his thoughts on using design to build brand loyalty and how the first five minutes in a facility can be the most critical.

1. Brand loyalty must run deep